What is Noble-Cause Corruption? Everything You Need to Know

Summary 

It stood out from the text readings in both chapter 1 and 2 that the issue of noble-cause corruption presents a huge situation of dilemma to the law enforcement agencies. It was quite interesting to read the articles on this topic because they made me understand the concept of noble cause corruption within the context of policing. The common definition of noble cause corruption from the article readings is mistakes committed in the pursuit of good end. It is the form of corruption, which takes place when the police are deeply concerned with their work. In simple terms, it is the corruption that is committed in order to take the bad individuals out of the streets. There are many cases when the police engage in actions that are corrupt just because of the belief that they lead to good results. The concept of noble cause corruption falls under the teleological perspective of ethics. In this school of thought, the end normally justifies the means used. Therefore, as a long as the outcome targeted is beneficial and good, the processes that lead to it need not be ethical or right. The police service has got into this approach to policing so deeply that it is raising concerns. This reflection paper opines that the end does not justify the means, but both the means and the outcome must be ethical, right and justifiable hence noble cause corruption is wrong and should be discouraged contemptuously. 

Your opinion on the issue 

Personally, I do support the teleological ethical theory, which in essence postulates that the end justifies the means. I also oppose the utilitarian view of ethics that focuses on the benefits of actions to the majority. I am against these notions because they sanitize unjustifiable processes as long as the results of actions are good and beneficial to the majority. It is also not good to be utilitarian and engage in actions that humiliate and hurt people because of seeking to benefit the majority. For human beings, even the minority matter just in terms equal to the majority. It is based on this reasoning that I strongly oppose the idea of noble cause corruption. All forms of corruption must be treated as wrongful deeds and discouraged regardless of their outcomes. 

Yes, I do believe that noble-cause corruption does exist in the policing units all over the world. The police officers have on many occasions taken actions and implemented processes that are negative, but have positive results. The negative processes used to achieve the good ends are always hurtful to a few people. The minority suffer huge losses as the expense of benefitting the majority. It is a major issue of concern within the police service because it exists. In fact, studies have classified noble cause corruption as part of the police culture today. 

In policing, it is important that everything action that is taken is checked to establish its ethical bearing. The actions taken and al processes implemented by the police officers must be within the strict confines of good ethics. Therefore, any process that is not ethically right should be avoided regardless of its beneficial and good results. 

It is true that some of the best police officers are the most susceptible to the acts of noble cause corruption. In this case, the police officers are forced to bend the law in order to suit a wrong and corrupt action, which has good results. The police officers may plant or just decide to fabricate evidence against an individual, manipulate witnesses against a given person or abuse their policing power. 

While many people may want to support noble cause form of corruption within the police service, I strongly oppose it because it can easily degenerate into the traditional corruption. Traditional corruption is where a police officer engages in self-serving corrupt deals. The police may start to act wrongly on pretence of serving to achieve the right outcome for the citizens, when in real sense they are acting to benefit their selfish interests. Moreover, I believe that noble cause corruption is not justified because then the police officers tend to assume the two roles of both the judge and executioner. It is sternly not within the purview of the police officers to judge people as guilty. This role is reserved for the judiciary all over the world. After reading and reflecting on the articles, I feel noble-cause corruption should be stopped because it may influence other cops top start engaging in unethical behavior. 

Examples 

The first example of noble cause corruption is the incident that happened in 1988 where n Sherman Griffiths, a police officer, was killed by Lewin, a civilian. Griffiths had in the company of other police officers gone into Lewin’s house to execute a search warrant. Lewin was resistant and a fight between him and the officers ensued. Lewin managed to kill Griffiths and was taken to court and charged with murder. The affidavit of the search warrant was based on fictitious information and from non-existent informant. The court threw out the charges and penalized the responsible police officer for perjury, conspiracy and false police reports. This case was an outcome of noble of corruption, where the police officer fabricated affidavits as evidence to ensure a known criminal of murder is convicted. However, the court declined to grant the charges because of this noble cause corruption. 

The second example is a case where the police officers planted cocaine drug substance in the car and home compound of a known drug dealer and used it as evidence against him in court. The drug dealer was known by locals for many years as a drug trafficker. However, the police had never managed to catch him with the cocaine drugs as evidence. Therefore, to ensure he is eliminated from the society, they had to plant the drug evidence in his car and home before taking him to the court. However, the court realized this corruption of the police and again declined to convict the drug dealer. The police behind the case were ordered to pay the known criminal damages. 

Finally, there is the example of false account by the police who had gone to investigate a case of robbery in Sidney. A car and flat screen television had been stolen. Later on, the police spotted the stolen car in a certain reserve. They noticed it and advanced towards it. They found in it the particulars of the person who is believed to have stolen it. They went to his house and found it locked with nobody inside. They were able to see the stolen television in the same house. Since they had no search warrant, they decided to the bend the law and break into the house to conduct a search. They colluded with other police officers to make a fictitious account of these events, starting with the lie that the door had been found open. However, they were charged in court fort false account of events after it was discovered. 

Conclusion 

Noble cause corruption is a wrong act that must be stopped. The police service can easily become rogue if this vice is sanitized and allowed to develop. It is important to have a police service that obeys the law, which it also seeks to enforce among the public. It cannot be the same police officers who break the law they are expected to enforce.